Sportsnet Announces $1 Million Bonus for Grand Slam of Curling

TORONTO, Nov. 14, 2012 /CNW/ - The stakes for the 2012-13 Grand Slam of Curling just got a lot higher as Sportsnet today announced a $1 million bonus will be awarded to a men's team if they win all four events in the series: The Rogers Masters, The Canadian Open, The National and The Players' Championship.

If a men's team does not win all four Grand Slam of Curling events, the top three men's teams - based on the Grand Slam points system - will split a $100,000 purse. First place will receive $50,000, second place will receive $30,000, and third place will receive $20,000.

"Sportsnet is committed to growing the Grand Slam of Curling like never before, and the addition of the substantial bonus truly delivers on that promise," said Scott Moore, President, Broadcasting, Rogers Media. "The Grand Slam is a high-performance, world-class series boasting the cream of the crop in international curling, and with these new prizes up for grabs, the competitive rivalry in the series will rise to a whole new level - which is great for curling fans, the athletes, and the sport."

On the women's side, two events comprise the 2013-Grand Slam of Curling.  Taking into account the greater odds of winning two events as opposed to four, if a women's team wins both The Rogers Masters and The Players' Championship, they will be awarded a $100,000 bonus.

If a women's team does not win both events, the top three women's teams - based on the Grand Slam points system - will split a $25,000 purse.  First place will receive $12,500, second place will receive $7,500, and third place will receive $5,000.

Sportsnet kicks off the 2012-13 Grand Slam of Curling today with The Rogers Masters, which features 64 teams from around the world competing for a combined purse of $200,000. Sportsnet's broadcast of the much-anticipated event begins Thursday, Nov. 15 at Noon ET/9 a.m. PT, live from the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre in Brantford, ON (full broadcast details are below).

Operated by Sportsnet, the Grand Slam of Curling is an elite series of men's and women's curling events which are part of the World Curling Tour and feature the best teams from across Canada and around the world. In addition to The Rogers Masters, the 2012-13 series also includes The Canadian Open in Kelowna, B.C. (December 12-16, 2012), The National in Port Hawkesbury, N.S. (January 23-27, 2013), and The Players' Championship in Toronto (April 16-21, 2013).

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Broadcast Schedule

Note: Through a sub-licensing agreement, the broadcast of the Grand Slam of Curling is shared with CBC

• Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012

Preliminaries, Noon ET/9 a.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)

• Thursday, Nov. 15, 2012

Preliminaries, 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)

• Friday, Nov. 16, 2012

Preliminaries, 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)

• Friday, Nov. 16, 2012

Preliminaries, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)

• Saturday, Nov. 17, 2012

Quarter Finals, 8:30 p.m. ET/5:30 p.m. PT (Sportsnet ONE)

Quarter  Finals, 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT (CBC)

• Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012

Semi-Finals, 8 a.m. ET/5 a.m. PT (Sportsnet East, Ontario, West, and Pacific)

Final, 1 p.m. ET/10 a.m. PT (CBC)

About Sportsnet
Sportsnet connects Canadian sports fans to their favourite teams and athletes, using five platforms: TV, Radio, Print, Online and Mobile. Sportsnet is Fuelled By Fans, and delivers storytelling on a local, regional, national and global level.  The multiplatform brand consists of Sportsnet, sportsnet.ca, Sportsnet 590 The FAN, Sportsnet 960 The FAN, Sportsnet magazine, Sportsnet Mobile and the Hockey Central app on iPad and Playbook.  Sportsnet is the Canadian leader in NHL and MLB television broadcasts and is home to 162 Toronto Blue Jays games, plus MLB Playoffs and the World Series. Sportsnet is an official broadcaster of the London 2012 Olympic Games, and also offers an exciting sports lineup including the NFL, the Rogers Cup tennis tournament, the Memorial Cup, and soccer programming with UEFA Champions League, Barclays Premier League, MLS Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Canadian national team matches for men and women.  Sportsnet Connected is the network's nightly news program, providing regional and national coverage of the day's events in the world of sorts.

SOURCE: Sportsnet

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